By the Fire Side
by LiterateQuill
Summary: The night before a Quidditch practise, which will undoubtedly take place in the freezing cold, Ron Weasley finds himself infront of the fireplace. It's only logical, seeing as he will be frozen to his broomstick in a few hours. Slowly, thoughts about the


By the Fire Side

The snow is falling. Oh, just great! Harry will want us out and about, flying in this frigid weather. Bloody hell, I don't think I'll be able to take it. Being Keeper probably isn't the best position for you to keep if you want to keep warm, after all, who gets warm by hovering in front of goal posts? At least the others get to i _move /i _! Anyway, I still have another twelve snow free hours to enjoy, so why not sit in front of the fire place for a while.

Harry and Hermione went up to bed a while ago. I don't know why I didn't follow them. After all, I am pretty tired, but I have a lot to think about, and it all doesn't have to do with Snape's potion essay. No, it's not stupid school stuff that I need to think about. I have to think about what happened last June.

Of course, it hasn't affected me as much as Harry, but it's stupid to say that it hasn't. Sirius died and I don't think I'll forget that anytime soon. Harry certainly won't. I was struck with some weird sort of jinx, so most of what happened in the Department of Mysteries is a blur to me, but everyone else who was there has helped fill in the gaps.

But I'm not the only one who got hurt in some way or another. Hermione was nearly killed by a Death Eater. Bloody hell I have the sudden urge to strangle something. Ginny got her ankle broken by, surprise surprise, another Death Eater. Neville got his nose broken, Luna… hmmm…. I think she got stunned. Harry, well, I don't think words can describe what horrifying thing happened to him. If Sirius hadn't died, I don't think I'd be thinking about this at all.

Harry, I feared this, is not himself. He laughs at my comments behind that weird old bat, Trelawney's back, but it's not the same laugh I used to hear. The old one was full of happiness. The new one is strained. I try and try to make him truly laugh and smile, but so far my efforts haven't worked. Perhaps my comments about her aren't as funny anymore, because she is no longer our teacher…

Who the bloody hell do I think I'm kidding? Harry's still grieving for Sirius! I am so thick sometimes; I think I should kick myself! No, I won't. I still have the welts from the brain that attacked me and they still twinge painfully sometimes. Well, they seem to be healing slightly.

Along with the incident that happened at the Ministry there's the fact that Harry is seen as a hero… again. I know he doesn't ask for it. In fact, I know he hates it, but I wish I had a bit of glory. Just once in my life, I'd like to be seen as a real hero, but Harry's shadow is always upon me. NO! I must not think like that! Ron-you-stupid-great-git! What is wrong with you? Harry can't help it! Maybe so, but I'd still like to be a hero.

Hermione thinks we should give Harry his space, but I don't feel like isolating him. It might only make him angrier. Right now, he needs every ounce of support he can get, seeing as his life has got to include murder. It might even i _end /i _with murder. Yes, he told me and Hermione about the prophecy. I remember it clearly as though it was yesterday. Well, he told us at the end of August, which wasn't that long ago, so I should be able to remember it.

It was at twelve Grimmauld Place and Hermione, Harry and I were sitting in the lounge. Hermione, as usual, had her nose in a book. I was polishing my broom stick and Harry was brooding. Well one of us was bound to crack sooner or later, because the silence was unbearable. Hermione stood up so quickly it surprised me a bit and threw her book down. It's a day I think should be marked in a calendar. August 25: Hermione mistreats a book!

"I know something's bothering you! Something other than Sirius!" she screeched.

I could see Harry drawing ragged breaths and it seemed like he was going to start bellowing at the pair of us, but instead he took off his glasses and wiped them. Not exactly the movement I had expected from a guy who had undergone all that pain and suffering. Finally, he said something.

"Yeah. Something is bothering me and you two have a right to know. After all, it's the whole reason why Voldemort dragged me down there."

I know I shouldn't have, but I flinched when Harry said his name. When will I bloody hell learn to stop flinching. After all, he's back and I'll be hearing his name much more often.

Anyway, back to Harry. "Well, that prophecy was about me and Voldemort. You want to know what it said?"

I nodded my head. Finally I was going to get an explanation as to why he had been so withdrawn from the rest of us for so long. I also saw Hermione nod her head from the corner of my eye.

Harry took a deep breath. ' i "_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…' /i " _What? Absolute gibberish (to me, that is). Anyway, Hermione seemed to have understood.

"No." she said faintly. "You mean… You have to murder Voldemort? In order to live peacefully?" her voice was rising shrilly. I got ready to calm her down, but her voice dropped to a whisper. "Or… Voldemort has to… to… murder you?"

Yep, that's definitely a conversation I won't forget anytime soon. Harry also told us that being friends with him was very risky as well. He said to me and Hermione that Voldemort might go after her and I, because we're his closest friends. I don't care. I can't leave Harry alone when he needs his friends the most.

The fire is dying and the window is obscured with snow. Bloody hell I must have been thinking for a long time. I guess one can get carried away when thinking about such things. I know that this year will be punctuated with pain. I know it won't be easy, but I'm ready for it. I'll do my best to protect my family, Harry and Hermione. Even if I have to die trying.

Note: Incase you didn't already know, this is Ron, thinking to himself. What happened down in the Department of Mysteries changed his life. Not to mention every one else who was there as well. The time will come when, as Dumbledore said, there will be a decision to made between what is easy and what is right. Ron, while thinking, has concluded that he will do what is right (well, in my fic anyway). I certainly hope that he does what's right in the book, but at the same time, I hope he doesn't die. Just a little fact here: Ron's my favorite character.


End file.
